Whatever the intentions were when South Burlington High School adopted “rebels” as a nickname after the school opened in 1961, the moniker should go because of what it represents now, a man told the school board.
“It’s associated with the racist policies of the Confederacy and we can’t, you can’t, get away from that,” said Bob Walsh, a retired South Burlington High School teacher. (Walsh is no relation to this reporter.)
Walsh recalled an era when Confederate flags decorated school buses and a Captain Rebel mascot strolled onto the field at football games to the tune of “Dixie.” He said the school district did not go far enough when, about twenty years ago, officials announced a compromise decision to technically drop the rebels as mascot and move away from Confederate images — but to allow the moniker to persist as a nickname.
Controversy over the nickname, which is plastered on scoreboards, banners and the school website, resurfaced this summer in the wake of national debate over South Carolina’s decision to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol.
Residents of South Burlington have debated the rebels issue heatedly via posts on Front Porch Forum. Some maintain the moniker is racist and others say it’s a harmless nickname that has not been associated with the Confederate flag on the campus for decades. But only Walsh spoke publicly Wednesday night.
The South Burlington School Board took no action. Board members and Superintendent David Young said they want more public input before making any decision. The topic will be warned for discussion at a school board meeting in September, and school officials will reach out for broad community input Young said. He said he has received emails and calls offering opinions both pro and con.
In his comments to the board, Walsh suggested the origin of the nickname might have been a reference to rivalries between South Burlington High School and Burlington High School. There are other accounts of how it started, as well.
Alan Boutilier, a 1964 grad, maintained in an email to the school board chair that the mascot was inspired by the film Rebel Without a Cause starring heartthrob James Dean.
“So you, your board members and the citizens of South Burlington can rest assured that there were no racist motivations attached to this name,” Boutilier wrote.
Regardless of the origins, yearbook photos show students holding the Confederate flag in the 1970s. Walsh and others, including South Burlington High School principal Patrick Burke, say images of the Confederacy were definitely used in connection with the mascot in the past.
Still, some alums, including school board member Julie Beattie, say they never associated the rebels moniker with the South. “I have a lot of respect for what you’re saying and I do think we need to gather some more opinions about it,” Beattie told Walsh. “But I don’t think that most of the students at South Burlington High School associate this with the Confederacy.”
Burke attended the meeting and, like other school leaders, indicated he wants more discussion. The question is whether the school has effectively moved away from the moniker’s association with the Confederacy and rebranded the nickname, he said. “If we have, we’re fine,” he said. “If we haven’t, we’ve got to figure something out.”
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REBEL is as much about the racist as DAIRY QUEEN is about drag queens- what the hell are you tinking dude….it was a word long before and will be long after and if they were clalled the CONFEDERATES OR THE KLAN the you’d have a case. Live and let live- hope the school fights all the way on this- and doesn’t cave like Rice did- what a fauz pas that was.
There comes a time when political and social “correctness” becomes abusive and this is one of them. The word rebel was in use long before the Civil War, as anyone with a common, historical, etymological understanding of the English language should know. Bob Walsh is a retired teacher, so I would assume that he is aware of the etymology of the word and its various uses outside of the context of the Civil War. When the city of South Burlington changed the way the nickname was depicted and discontinued having a mascot twenty years ago, their actions should have ended any controversy and this discussion should and/or would not be occurring except for the need for one individual to gain his “fifteen minutes of fame.”
I cannot believe that this man was given even one shred of attention. What the hell is happening to this society. I would hope Mr. Walsh could find something far more important to get worked up about than this. PC is becoming a joke because of people like him.
If SB no longer uses the flag, the mascot or “Dixie” it seems benign, but the question for the community is what “Rebels” means today? CVU’s “Crusader” mascot was clearly a knight, complete with Christian cross on the shield, at a time when America was going to war in the Middle East. A bit offensive. Instead of “Redhawks”, though, they could have re-imagined what a “crusader” could be for the 21st century (crusader for justice, freedom, truth….). Let’s hope SB uses this opportunity instead of being knee-jerk or dismissive.
The irony is that the South lost the Civil War, so if the Confederacy is actually the reference behind the SBHS name, maybe it’s not the best choice (and probably never was) overall for a “winning” team name.
South Burlington could show compassion and alliance with all athletes and students by picking a new name. Keeping “Rebels” as a name throws caution to the wind and does not take into account the harm that this term originally caused and continues to cause.
The problem with the Rebel nickname today is that, stripped of its Confederate context — arguably a good thing, not just because of its slavery and segregationist associations but because it never made any sense in relation to South Burlington — it is meaningless. Rebels? What rebels? It’s generic. It’s like calling yourselves the Dogs or the Birds or the Soldiers. I vote for giving the students, teachers, administrators, and community members a chance to vote on a new mascot and nickname — maybe on that actually has something to do with S.B.
I played on S.B.H.S. sports teams, and I have no sentimental attachment to the nonsensical nickname.
I had Bob Walsh as a teacher when I was a student at S.B.H.S., and he was an outstanding role model. He’s a veteran, a lifelong teacher, and a humanist. The idea that political correctness is liberal reactionary zeal run amok is itself a reactionary view. We can do better, people.
The main issue here is, PEOPLE NEED TO GET A LIFE! When did things turn around and one or two people can turn the world upside down? What the hell is going on? It’s like a bad Twilight Zone show. The war on drugs is no more because states found they can make money by taxing weed, you need to show a license to fish but no ID to vote. People come into this country and are given the key to the bank but a person who lives here wanting to start a small business has to fight the government.
Is everyone clueless??? Damn! Wake up before this country is no more. All you bleeding hearts get a damn hobby or something but leave the rest of us alone!!!!!
American rebels fought the Revolution! “Rebels” does not specify Confederates. And “rebels” does not imply anything other than rebellion. That one rebellion in all of global history (suddenly) offends people on a broad scale shouldn’t taint the word for all generations.
This is very upsetting. As a South Burlington alumni, I really loved our name. Our mascot isn’t racist, we came up and developed it my senior year and it’s very friendly and harmless. We also do not have a flag or any kind of memorabilia anywhere in our school, or sporting events that represents anything racist. I think that this is an attack that should’ve happened years ago if people were so offended by the name. Granted this term may have been used during the Civil War but it was also used long before that and will continue to be used long after certain generations have gone. I don’t understand why suddenly there is a huge concern about the name of our high school. This conversation should’ve happened years ago and I will be insanely disappointed if one persons extreme opinions change a schools name that’s so near and dear to my heart. I really hope South Burlington stands to their name and continues keeping the legacy of everything we’ve done right along with it.
Another worked-up liberal taking offense for a group he doesn’t even belong to. Go take a nap Bob, you’re retired, remember?
Jeezum Crow! Get a grip, people. We are a democracy, not the PC Police. One man with a hair in an uncomfortable place does not trump the wishes of the community; when he does, it’s called tyranny.
_Sic semper tyrannum morietur._